|
|
|
|
General Characteristics Head
to body Length : 200 cm (6.6 feet ) Tail Length : 42 cm ( 17 in ) Weight : 275 kg ( 605 lbs ) Description The short, smooth coat is a light gray to fawn color, fading quickly to white on the undersides and legs. There is a slender, dark dorsal stripe in all subspecies, while in the Nubian wild ass, as well as the domestic donkey, there is a stripe across the shoulder. The legs of the Somali wild ass are horizontally striped with black, resembling those of a zebra. On the nape of the neck there is a stiff, upright mane, the hairs of which are tipped with black. The ears are large with black margins. The tail terminates with a black brush. The hooves are slender, approximately the diameter of the legs. Range -The African Wild Ass live in N.E Africa. Habitat -They live in an open grassy plain, rugged rocky country, semidesert and mountains. Diet - It eats thorny and tough plants, grasses, bark and leaves. Status -There are now only a few hundred individuals left in the wild and the species is under threat of extinction. Reason for the status -This is because they are hunted for food and traditional medicine in both Ethiopia and Somalia, where recent civil unrest has led to an increased number of weapons in circulation. Competition with domestic livestock for grazing, and restricted access to water supplies caused by agricultural developments What type of animal is this - herbivore Gestation : 11-12 months Longevity : 40 years
African wild ass
|
